"Spiritual Tombstones?"
Dear Friends,
In 2000, Arnold L. Cook wrote a book entitled,
“Historical Drift: Must My Church Die?”
I was mightily impacted by the observations of this author.
One of the statements that he noted was that throughout
history, vision dims, core values shift and passion fades in
organizations. Cook was of the opinion
that all Christian organizations should be scrapped every 100 years and start
over.
Historical drift is the tendency of churches to move away
from their original moorings over time.
He places the blame not on the organizations but on the leaders!
“Whether a Christian organization thrives or dies depends on the caliber of its
leaders!
That really got my attention as I considered my role as a
pastor and the boards I serve on.
He noted that historical drift can be reversed but it is
dependent on a spiritual revival that touches every aspect of our personal life
hence our church life!
At the root of “historical drift” in denominations and
churches is the subtle and not so subtle compromises of Biblical authority,
theology and church doctrines and spiritual discipline.
As I reflected on what this means for the churches I have
served, it propelled me and drove me to be the best I could be as a pastoral
leader albeit with imperfections.
I am passionate about not letting things die because of
apathy or lack of commitment.
Churches and people do not need to become spiritual
tombstones used only as references to the past.
Sadly, however, sometimes we are content to be
spiritually lifeless and excuse our way to the grave.
As we build the Legacy project, let us be reminded this
is a statement on how we will do ministry as a church. We will not be content to use a building that
is seen and not heard.
I can envision the congregation using this building until
it wears out and needs to be built again!
It is in this way we find the enthusiasm of serving our God by letting
him touch and use us in our corporate and personal moments!
Let us review every aspect of our church life in Christ
and refresh ourselves with the purpose of why First Reformed Church will live!
In Christ,
Pastor Wayne
